Madison

Rockets in Space

Madison County

Madison County was established on December 13, 1808 by the governor of the Mississippi Territory. It is recognized as the “birthplace” of Alabama, which was founded at Constitution Village in Huntsville on December 14, 1819. Once one of the largest cotton-producing counties in the state, this changed when a group of German rocket scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, came to Redstone Arsenal in 1950. They developed, among others, the Redstone rocket, which was modified to launch the first two Americans into space. Visit the world-famous U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville and learn about the history of space travel. Huntsville is also home to the arts, nature, and lots of craft breweries.